Choose Horror Royale
Choose Horror Royale if you want a Casual game with Online PvP, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and LAN PvP. Horror Royale launched in 2025.
Horror Royale vs SMS Returns
Horror Royale and SMS Returns both land in Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Horror Royale (2025) is 1 year older than SMS Returns (2026). Both support cooperative play. No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose SMS Returns
Choose SMS Returns if you want the DualShock Controller Support, DualSense Controller Support, and HDR available side of the pairing. SMS Returns launched in 2026.
Both Horror Royale and SMS Returns sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Horror Royale |  SMS Returns | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 5.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 68.2% positive (44 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Ben Wade | Marc Steene |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Horror Royale (2025) is 1 year older than SMS Returns (2026).
- Both support cooperative play.
Horror Royale vs SMS Returns — FAQ
- Should I play Horror Royale or SMS Returns first?
- If you want chronology, Horror Royale (2025) came out before SMS Returns (2026). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Horror Royale and SMS Returns similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Horror Royale and SMS Returns have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Horror Royale ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op; SMS Returns ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op.